EUROVISION 2011 WHY CAN’T BRITAIN WIN EUROVISION? Could it be that we’ve been picking the wrong acts for years? Mike Ward looks back at the Eurovision hopefuls who could have been contenders t’s the turn of boyband Blue to Sinitta (1984) Sam Fox (1995) Kym Marsh (2006) represent us at tonight’s Eurovision THE Imagination Go For The Heart Whisper To Me Song Contest in Dusseldorf, Sinitta was actually a late Sam sang with a three- Shortly before she became Coronation performing their number I Can. EUROVISION replacement for the original piece called Sox. And this Street’s Michelle Connor, Kym made this I SONG CONTEST And for one of the band’s line-up, singer, so there wasn’t much song, which she’d co- final attempt to revive her flagging post- 29-year-old Antony Costa, it’s a case of 2011, TONIGHT, PETULA CLARK’s pressure as she performed written, had been strongly Hear’Say solo career. “I’d really love to second-time lucky. 8PM, BBC1 SONG WAS this up-tempo number. Losing in the A tipped to win. “She did a lot of media,” represent the country in Athens,” she As a solo artist, Antony missed out MEANT TO BE Song for Europe UK heat was actually recalls John. “She was all over the news. told viewers, “so pick up the phone and on the chance to sing for the UK at a blessing, because the winners who It was very much a comeback bid.” Go vote for me!” Sadly, not enough of us did, Eurovision five years ago, his upbeat A EUROVISION went on to represent Britain, Motown- For The Heart went on to be a minor hit, failing to be inspired by this inoffensive number Beautiful Thing finishing as CONTENDER, BUT influenced Belle & The Devotions, were making number 47 in the UK chart. but forgettable ballad. runner-up in BBC1’s selection show. THE BBC WERE to face a tough time “But I think she felt she’d been robbed.” Finished 4th out of 6 But he’s hardly the first big name to TOLD THEY’d in Luxembourg. Finished 4th out of 8 suffer such a blow. Locals booed them, Antony Costa With the help of the contest’s leading REGISTERED seemingly because Tricia Penrose (2006) expert, John Kennedy O’Connor, Mike TOO LATE... English football (2002) Beautiful Thing Ward My DJ Romeo recalls some of the other stars hooligans had recently Not his finest moment. The Nolans who have failed in their bid to become trashed the city. Best known as The song, a catchy (above) were Brian Harvey our Eurovision flag-fliers. Petula Clark hoped to represent the UK in 1956 Finished 4th out of 8 Gina Ward enough effort hot favourites (2007) from ITV1’s with a vaguely 50s flavour, in 1979, but a I Can Petula Clark (1956) The Nolans (1979) Alvin Stardust (1985) Heartbeat, Tricia’s bouncy had been tipped to win, last-minute strike The former East 17 star had blacked out the NN Wibbly Wobbly Moon Harry, My Honolulu Lover The Clock On The Wall E number – “a stereotypical but Antony’s clunking selection show been through a rough patch E; W Strictly speaking, this wasn’t a Eurovision The 1979 selection show was blacked The singer of such 70s classics as Eurovision song”, says John – performance left a lot in his personal life, a spell R U contender. But it was meant to be. The out by a last-minute strike – forcing My Coo-Ca-Choo and Jealous Mind lost out to Pop Idol finalist to be desired. It didn’t of depression followed by a freak accident XPOS ; S Festival of British Popular Song was the judges to make their decision had been enjoying something Jessica Garlick, whose power help that guest panellist in 2005 in which he’d been crushed VE HI initially a selection process for the UK’s by listening to audio tapes of the of a revival, enjoying two Top ballad Come Back was destined Jonathan Ross, under the wheels of his Mercedes. This C R A Eurovision debut in 1956, but the BBC rehearsal. The Nolans were hot 10 hits just a few months earlier. for a commendable third in the clocking the singer’s attempted comeback failed to deliver, his BBC ; were then told they’d registered too late. favourites and were already booked But if he’d hoped to keep it going Eurovision final in Estonia. Also that shiny grey suit, remarked performance hampered by “tuning issues”. S E R The “festival” continued regardless, with to do a raft of shows afterwards, but a with this tired, formulaic old rocker year, a band featuring ITV news he looked “like a Finished 6th out of 6 U at Petula making the final six, but sadly her bizarre group called Black Lace stole he was sorely mistaken, despite reporter Jonathan Maitland and salesman from Currys”. ANTONY COSTA E FE Finished 2nd out of 6 Justin Hawkins (2007) OP song has been lost in the mists of time. their glory. Even so, the start of the girls’ favourable odds. Alvin would never Watchdog’s Matt Allwright made MISSED OUT “I’ve never been able to find a recording chart career was only months away. trouble the UK Top 50 again. the UK’s final four. ON THE CHANCE They Don’t Make ’Em ; PA; SC ; PA; of it,” says John. Finished 4th out of 12 Finished 3rd out of 8 Finished 2nd out of 4 Liz TO SING FOR Like They Used To Finished in top 6 McClarnon With his trademark falsetto, Les McKeown Katie Price (2007) THE UK AT HOTOSHOT the former frontman of ; P S (1976) (1990) (2005) Don’t It Make E Tony Christie EUROVISION The Darkness had shot to R U The Queen Of The Mardi Gras Ball And Chain Not Just You Happy? at FIVE YEARS AGO. fame four years earlier with Five years after scoring a hit withIs This In the same year that three Anybody This soulful I Believe In A Thing Called The Way To Amarillo, a white-suited, of his former Bay City Heavily pregnant number, with a passing nod But he’s Love. Clearly, he’d expected more support M; REX FE O medallion-sporting Christie gave a Rollers colleagues were Katie (aka Jordan), to Dusty Springfield’s HARDLY THE from voters on the selection show, his Y.C Son RAR perky enough performance of this getting back together to tour and the pre-show favourite, stunned Of A Preacher Man, probably elimination prompting him to storm off B I FIRST BIG NAME L bouncy effort. Unfortunately, he was record, ex-frontman Les McKeown the nation by appearing on stage deserved to fare better for the TO SUFFER SUCH stage. “Oh dear,” declared co-host Fearne HOTO up against acts including Hazel Dean, was determined to reinforce his in a skin-tight, pink catsuit – and ex-Atomic Kitten. “It was a Cotton. “I think he’s a bit upset…” ; P S E Frank Ifield, Polly Brown and Sweet status as a solo artist. But he was singing excruciatingly flat. But terrific performance,” says A BLOW Finished 4th out of 6 AG Dreams, all of whom had enjoyed Above: Alvin never going to do it with this limp maybe it was just as well that John. As it turned out, Y IM Stardust had two TT big hits – plus a certain Brotherhood Top 10 hits just rock ballad. The eventual winner, she lost out to winner Javine Liz was destined for John Kennedy O’Connor is the author of The Of Man. It would be 23 years before a few months 15-year-old Welsh singer Emma as Katie would have been greater things, winning Eurovision Song Contest: The Official History Christie appeared in the British singles before his bid Booth, polled more than six just weeks from giving birth Celebrity MasterChef (Carlton Books, £14.99). To order, call the chart again. Tony Christie’s Eurovision to represent times as many phone votes. when the finals arrived. the following year. Express Bookshop on 0871 988 8365. Calls song was rejected in 1976 the UK in 1985 PHOTOGRAPHS: GE Finished 3rd out of 12 Finished 4th out of 8 Finished 2nd out of 5 Finished 5th out of 6 cost 10p per minute from a BT landline. 10 SATURDAY MAGAZINE SATURDAY MAGAZINE 11.